Seal.



G. H. REID.

SEAL.

APPLIOATION FILED 0011.21, 1911.

1,026,701 Patented May 21, 1912.

Y l@ f J 20 a l Z5 l Aliomq/Jf CDLUMBIA PLANQRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

GEORGE H. REID, 0F MECCA, CALIFORNIA.

SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed (lctober 21, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912. Serial No. 655,859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE I-I. REID, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mecca, in the county of Riverside and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, convenient and safe seal designed primarily to secure the doors of loaded freight cars, as well as trunks, chests, and other receptacles and carriers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a seal which can be easily applied and removed, and which when once applied affords absolutely perfect security.

The invention also has for its object to provide a seal which is constructed so as to permit continual use of the casing thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description appearing hereinafter, and in order that the invention may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing, in which* Figure 1 is a perspective view of the seal complete. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the shackle. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank out of which the locking device is formed.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the shackle is a strip 5 of tin or other suitable sheet metal of any desired length, width and thickness. A short distance from each end, the strip is slightly reduced in width to form tongues 6. In each of these tongues are made two perforations 7, and in the edges of the tongues are made notches 8 and 9, located respectively near the inner and outer portions of the tongues. By reducing the ends of the strip to form the tongues, shoulders 10 are also formed at the inner ends of the tongues. The perforations and notches of the respective tongues are so positioned that they match when the strip is folded and the tongues are brought together. In the middle or main body of the strip are placed by raised or painted characters the L to one end of the tube,

owners name, and the seal number, and adjacent to one of the tongues said main body of the strip has a perforation l1, so that the strips may be strung on a wire in numerical order, to prevent them from getting mixed and thus cause loss of time in handling.

At 12 is indicated a casing having the owners name, etc., stamped or otherwise affixed on one of its sides, and containing catches which are engageable with the perforations and notches of the tongues 6.

The casing may be constructed o'f sheet metal, a strip of which is bent to form the body of the casing to which the end walls 12a are secured in any suitable manner. The casing may. be square, oval or otherwise shaped. The catches are punched up from a spring metal plate 13, shown in Fig. 5, and said plate is folded on the dotted lines 13a, into the form of a tube which is rectangular in cross-section, and has side walls 14, top and bottom walls 15 and 16, respectively, and a flap 17 overlapping the top wall. One of the side walls, adjacent has a catch 18, and adjacent to the other end of the tube, the other side wall has a catch 19. The catch 18 engages the notches 8 and the catch 19 engages the notches 9. The top and bottom walls have catches 20 and 2l, respectively, which are engageable with the perforations 7. These catches are located inside the tube. The catches 2O and 2l are reduced at their outer or free ends to facilitate their entry into the perforations 7, and the free ends of the catches 1S and 19 are slightly concaved so that they may have a better hold on the notches 8 and 9. The width of the last mentioned catches is the same as the height of the side walls 14. At the ends of the top and bottom walls are tongues 22 which are bent inwardly on the dotted lines 23, these bends being at their junction with said walls, and forming the end walls of the tube. The tongues are also bent intermediate their ends on the dotted lines 24, the last mentioned bends being outwardly, and said bends also being spaced from each other sufliciently to enable the tongues 6 to enter In the end walls 12 of the casing 12 are slots through which the tongues extend, and on the outside of said walls said tongues are bent over against the same, as shown in Fig.

2, whereby the tube is secured in the casing.V In use, the shackle 5 is passed through theV staple or other part on the door and bent intermediate its ends to bring the tongues 6 in juxtaposition so that the perforations and notches of the latter register. rIhe tongues are now inserted into the tubular member inclosed in theV casing 12, whereupon the catches snap into the perforations and notches and the tongues are then securely locked against withdrawal. The curved ends of the catches 18 and 19 also serve'to guide the tongues while being inserted and thus prevent the same from working to one side and thus failing to be caught.

The shoulders 10 come against the end wall of the casing and thereby prevent the tongues and the shackle from being passed entirely through the lockcasing.

To break the seal, the shackle 5 is bent.

back and forth at the junction of the tongues 6 with the main body of the shackle, until the latter is broken off, after which the tongues may be readily removed from the lock-casing. The outer ends of the tongues project slightly from the outer end of the lock-casing, so that said ends ofthe tongues may be grasped when they are to be withdrawn after they have been severed from the main body of the shackle 5.. In order to facilitate the breakingolf of the tongues, the shackle has notches Q5 at the inner ends of the tongues 6, which weaken the shackle sufficiently so that it may be readily broken by being bent back and forth as described.

To prevent loss of the lock-casing 12 itis connected by a chain 26 to the door or other part to which it is applied.

It will be understood that a new shackle is einployedevery time the seal is used, but the lock casing and the parts carried thereby, may be used again and again until the catches become worn and unfit for further use. Any number of catches and coperating parts may be provided, and by reducing their number and size, a cheaper seal may be provided for more unimportant purposes.

I claim:

1. A seal comprising a shackle having severable tongues at its ends, said tongues being provided with notches in their edges, and perforations, which register when the tongues are placed together, a lock-casing` into which the tongues are adapted to beinserted, said lock-casing having openings in its ends for the insertion and removal .of

the tongues, said tongues entering the casing through one of the end openings and being removable from the casing through the other end opening when severed, guides eX- tending from the'opening through which the tongues are inserted, and catches in the lockcasingengageable with the notches and perforations of the tongues.

2. A seal comprising a shackle having severable tongues at its ends, said tongues being provided with notches in their edges, and perforations, which register when the the tongues are placed together, and said shackle being shouldered at the inner ends of the tongues, a lock-casinginto which the tongues are adapted to be inserted, said lock-casing having an end opening for the insertion of the tongues, and said end ofl the lock-casing being engageab'le by the shoul der of the shackle, the other end of' the'I cas# ing having an' opening through which' the tongues are` removable when severed, and catches in the lock casing engageable with the notches and perforations ofA the tongues.A

3. A seal comprising a shackle having tongues at its ends, said tongues beingjprovided with notches intheir edges, and'. perV forations, which register when the tongues are placed together, aloc'k-casing'into which the tongues are adapted to be inserted,-said lock-casing having openings in its ends for the insertion and removal of the tongues,

and a tubular member in the lock-casing,V

said memberhaving.Y internal top, bottom and` side catches, the top and bottom catches being engageable with the perforations of the tongues and the side catches with the edge notches of the tongues.

4. A seal comprising a shackle having'.V

tongues at its ends, said tongues being" provided with notches in their edges, and perforations, which registerwhen the tongues are placed together, a lock-casingL into which the tongues are adapted to be inse'rted,`said' lock-casiiig having openings in its ends for. the insertionand. removal of the tonguesa tubular member in the lock-casing, said member having internal top, bottom and side catches, the top and bottom catches be ing engageable with the perforations ofthe tongues and the side catches with the edge notches Aof theV tongues, and guide-tongues extending from` the ends of the tubular member and passing through the endopenings of the lock-casing.` y

5. A seal comprising a shackle having; tongues at its ends, said tongues being-providedwith notches in theiredges, and perforations, which register when the-tongues are placedV together, a lock-casinginto which the tongues are adapted to be inserted, said lock-casinghaving openings in its ends for:V

the insertion and removal of the tongues, and a tubular member in the lock-casing,

said member having internalV top, bottom and In testimony whereof I afiix my signature side catchesoilhe tog arlld botftomtcatohefs lein presence of two Witnesses.

in en a. ea eWit't e eroraionso t e tolgiguegs nd the side catfrihes with the edge GEORGE H REID' notches of the tongues, the free ends of the Witnesses:

side catches being concave to guide the M. P. EVANS,

tongues. P. D. BELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained tor ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

